Paris Olympics: Haughey’s path to glory still clear despite Sjostrom’s 100m shock
- The swimming entries for this summer’s Games confirm Siobhan Haughey’s decision to only compete in the 100m and 200m freestyle
Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey could face world record holders in both the 100 metres and 200m freestyle events at the Paris Olympics, but her path towards a medal could be easier, with some stars opting not to compete.
The official entry list for the Games’ swimming events, which will take place from July 27 to August 4, has been released and confirmed that Haughey would only compete in two individual events.
Haughey, who had also qualified for the 50m and 400m freestyle and the 100m breaststroke, is also expected to swim with her teammates in the 4x100 medley relay.
Top seed in the 100m, the double Olympic silver medallist could face the world record holder, Sarah Sjostrom, in the final, after the 30-year-old made the surprise decision to enter.
The Swede, who set the world record with a time of 51.71 seconds at the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest in 2017, had previously said she would not contest the event.
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Haughey is the third-fastest woman of all time in the 100m freestyle after clocking a 52.02 at the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Germany in October.
Sjostrom, who is seeded third in Paris, finished sixth at the Tokyo Olympics when Haughey won silver. However, at the Sette Colli Trophy in Rome last month, Sjostrom beat Haughey in the 100m by 0.21 seconds.
The event’s second seed is Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan. The 20-year-old’s personal best in the race is 52.08, which she hit at the World Championships in Japan in June 2023.
One surprise addition to the 100m is Canada’s Maggie MacNeil. The 24-year-old won Olympic gold in the 100m butterfly in Tokyo, but did not even hit the A standard when she qualified with a time of 53.64 to go to Paris.
In the 200m freestyle, Haughey’s chances of a podium have been bolstered after Canada’s Summer McIntosh dropped the event.
At last year’s World Championships, McIntosh beat Haughey by 0.31 seconds in the 200m to win bronze.
The 200m freestyle is set to be one of the most fiercely contested events in women’s swimming in Paris, with world record holder Ariarne Titmus and former world record holder O’Callaghan coming in as the first and second seeds.
The Australian pair are the first women to swim a sub 1:53 since Italy’s Federica Pellegrini did so in 2009 wearing a high-technology swimsuit.
